Cairn Oil & Gas, India’s largest private oil and gas exploration and production company, a part of the Vedanta Group, has announced the implementation of ASP flooding in the Mangala oil field in Barmer, Rajasthan. This marks the largest commercial injection implemented in any oil and gas field in India, and is among the very few done globally. This milestone underscores Cairn’s ability to innovate technological breakthroughs that aid recovery from matured fields and accelerate future field development, enabling it to work towards its goal of contributing 50 per cent of India’s oil and gas production.
Alkaline Surfactant Polymer (ASP) is a unique Enhanced Oil Recovery method where polymer and surfactants are injected into matured fields to increase recovery. The injection of ASP allows for an increase in recovery in matured fields by up to 60%, using polymers and surfactants, instead of just 40% using polymers alone.
Cairn implemented this largest commercial injection at the MWP-1 & 19 ASP Project site in the Mangala field. The efforts are expected to yield about a 20% additional oil recovery in the targeted area.
Over three decades, Cairn has been at the forefront of technology innovations in E&P operations in India. Its highest-producing Mangala Bhagyam Aishwariya (MBA) fields in Barmer have witnessed significant innovations driven by Cairn’s team of experts and global partners. Earlier, Cairn had successfully conducted an ASP flood pilot, following which, a Field Development Plan (FDP) was submitted and approved. Moving forward, this technology will be expanded to other fields in the Rajasthan block.
Dr. Steve Moore, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Cairn Oil & Gas, Vedanta, said: “In line with our commitment to boost India’s domestic oil & gas production, we are proud to pioneer the implementation of ASP flooding technology in our flagship Mangala oil field. This innovation is a testament to our commitment to maximizing recovery from mature fields, using advanced technologies. This is a big milestone for us and our JV partner, keeping Cairn at the leading edge of technology application worldwide”.
The commercial implementation of ASP flooding marks a pioneering achievement in India’s hydrocarbon landscape. Such technological deployments allow the company to support India’s transition from import reliance to energy self-sufficiency.
